1. Run, Don’t Walk!
This may sound crazy, but a great way to increase your speed is to run across the parking lot instead of walking. If you are already following the advice of the “experts,” you are probably parking at the far end anyway, so you have a nice distance to travel.
Wear loose clothing, such as workout pants and sneakers ,the next time you go out on a Saturday-afternoon shopping excursion. Park your car, get out and sprint to the door of the store where you'll be shopping. I love to do this, especially when it is really cold out in the winter or really hot in the summer. You don’t want to be out there any longer than you have to, so why not get to where you have to go in a hurry? If you do this on all your excursions, sit back and enjoy the view as you watch your speed increase.
2. Don’t be Afraid
Here’s a way to really amp up the speed, either on a treadmill or in the generous world of Mother Nature. Sprint intervals are very intense and take great mental strength, but they are also a lot of fun, and they will increase your speed. After a 5- to 10-minute warm-up, alternate between all-out sprints and rest intervals. Start out doing 20-second sprints, then work your way up to 30 and even 45. Take rest periods in between that are twice as long as your sprints. Treat them just like reps with weights. You do a set, then you rest. Try working your way up to eight to 12 sets with a warm-up in the beginning and a cool-down at the end.
3. Fatten Up Those Legs
Fatten them up with muscle, not with actual fat. It makes sense that leg strength is a big part of running. The stronger the legs, the more force you’ll be capable of producing while running. So hit the weights and turn those spindles into tree trunks.
4. Observe Economy of Effort
Make sure to run with proper form and mechanics. This step cannot be overlooked. If you run sloppily and flat-footed, you are slowing yourself down. Make sure to drive from the balls of the feet, and assume a forward lean with the head square to the shoulders. Drive hard, with the arms focusing on the backswing of the elbows.
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